Elderly offered advice on keeping warm this winter
EXPERTS at a Welsh care company are offering elderly people in the country advice on keeping warm in the winter weather (2018).
Abacare says having a warm home if you had reduced mobility or are over 65-years-old is extremely important in the winter and the minimum a home should be heated to is 18 degrees.
Peter Angelides, CEO at the award-winning Abacare, which has offices in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “The cold weather can really affect the elderly and leave them susceptible to serious health problems, so we are offering our advice to ensure that the whole of Wales keeps warm this winter.
“If you can, staying active is a great way to keep yourself warm. Simply getting up and walking around the room is the perfect way to get started. If possible, try not to sit still for more than an hour at a time.
“Wearing lots of thin layers of clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres is a great way to maintain body heat.
“Eating hot meals and drinking warm drinks regularly throughout the day is essential to keeping yourself warm as food is a vital energy source.
“Keep hot water bottles and blankets around the home if you’re feeling the chill, but take care not to fill hot water bottles with boiling water.
“Our carers will be visiting our service users whatever the weather to provide the care they need and are able to make sure they are warm enough and fed and hydrated too. If anyone knows of an elderly person struggling to keep warm this winter, we would suggest they pop in on them regularly to ensure they have everything they need. Provide blankets if you can and keep track of eating and drinking habits. Anyone who feels they may need more help with caring for an elderly person should get in touch as we provide a home care service across Wales.”
Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.
The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person centred care to people throughout Wales.
Peter added: “As winter is our busiest time of the year, we’re looking for caring, honest and reliable people to join our award-winning team and provide care to our service users across the country.
“No experience is necessary to become a carer as we offer free, full training, which includes a company induction, first aid, information on dementia, health and safety, food safety, infection control, handling medication and moving and handling service users, with the opportunity to achieve Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) after the initial six months probationary period.
“New recruits are given free uniforms, access to national staff discount scheme for all major brands as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is looking for a career or someone who just fancies a bit of a change. Being a carer is an extremely rewarding job and you get to meet lots of wonderful people too.
“We’re also offering FaceTime or Skype interviews to candidates in order to meet the demands of the modern jobseeker. Our view is that busy people wanting a career change can ‘meet’ us via FaceTime or similar applications and find out about the roles we have to offer, as well as meet a couple of team members and, if they are about, also say ‘hello’ to a carer too.”
Anyone interested in joining the team at Abacare should visit www.abacare.org.uk or call 01443 742645.
Abacare’s core values, instilled into every staff member, include ‘make us proud’, ‘focus on our service users’ wellbeing’, ‘communicate, listen well and speak with respect’, ‘be passionate, honest, caring and considerate’, ‘recruit and develop the very best’ and ‘lead by example’.
It believes it offers inspiring work for inspirational people.
It is a member of the United Kingdom Homecare Association, Ceretas (formerly British Association of Domiciliary Care), The National Homecare Council and The Information Commissioners Office (Data Protection). It is also registered with the Care Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Abacare has been awarded an Investors in People accolade for its staff training and development for the fourth year running.
Investors in People is a national standard, which provides a framework that helps organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the effective management and development of their staff.
It was also named Britain’s ‘Most Outstanding Care Agency’ at the UK Over 50s Housing Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
For more information about Abacare, please call 01443 742645 or visit www.abacare.org.uk. Alternatively, please follow the company on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Yn4zmS or on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/visitabacare.
